Sunday, November 15

Kim Philby is one of history’s greatest spies. During the
cold war he rose the ranks of Britain’s counterintelligence. What none of his
colleagues, especially his friend Nicholas Elliott, knew was that Philby was
secretly sending intelligence to Moscow. In A
Spy Among Friends Ben Macintyre recounts the story of Philby, paying
specific attention to the relationship between Philby and Nicolas Elliott.

From the beginning, Macintyre is careful to note that this
is not a biography of Kim Philby. Rather, seeks to show the friendship between
Philby and Elliott. Furthermore, much of the story is shrouded in mystery since
so many files from the MI6, CIA, and KGB are locked. As such, Macintyre
attempts to do the best he can from secondary sources. With those caveats, he
manages to put together quite a thorough sounding story.